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Coconut oil fights tooth decay: research

Coconut oil fights tooth decay and could find its way into toothpaste and mouthwash, research suggests.

Scientist found that when the oil was treated with digestive enzymes it became a powerful killer of mouth bugs.

The bacteria it attacked included Streptococcus mutans, an acid-producing microbe that is a major cause of tooth decay.

Researchers were following up earlier work which showed that partially digested milk made S.mutans less likely to stick to the tooth enamel.

Further studies will look at how coconut oil interacts with the bacteria at the molecular level, and what other microbe strains and yeasts it may combat.

Tests already suggest that enzyme-treated coconut oil is harmful to the yeast Canadian albicans, the cause of thrush. Lead researcher Dr Damien Brady, from the Athlone Institute of Technology in Ireland, said: "Dental caries is a commonly overlooked health problem affecting 60 percent to 90 percent of children and the majority of adults in industrialised countries.

"Incorporating enzyme-modified coconut oil into dental hygiene products would be an attractive alternative to chemical additives, particularly as it works at relatively low concentrations. Also, with increasing antibiotics resistance, it is important that we turn our attention to new ways to combat microbial infection.

"Our data suggests that products of human digestion show antimicrobial activity. This could have implications for how bacteria colonise the cells lining the digestive tract and for overall gut health."